


Ask Me About Kakashi - Tumblr Asks/Answers (Character Study Pieces)

by ohayohimawari



Category: Naruto
Genre: Ask Me About Kakashi, Character Study, Kakashi Asks, Ohayohimawari Answer, Originally Posted on Tumblr, Other, Tumblr Prompt, tumblr ask
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-24
Updated: 2019-07-10
Packaged: 2020-03-13 18:55:39
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 13,182
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18946858
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ohayohimawari/pseuds/ohayohimawari
Summary: This is a collection of character study pieces I've done based on questions and scenarios that have been sent to me on Tumblr.I occasionally open my Ask box and request that these be sent to me. Please follow me on Tumblr if you have a question or scenario you'd like to send in:ohayohimawariYou will find the questions/prompts in the notes section of each chapter.I do not own these characters; I've had a wonderful time exploring them.JoinThe Kakashi Lounge Discord ServerTo be a member, you must be:-at least 16 years old-able to play nice with others in a multishipping community





	1. Favorite Challenge

**Author's Note:**

> Question: "Ask anything about my favorite ninja? Oh I have so many questions. What is Kakashi's favorite challenge with Gai?"

This is a wonderful question, and I thank you for asking it, Anon.

I have a feeling that most of my answers are going to include the words: _it depends_ lol. Because let’s face it, Kakashi is a man of many hobbies and many moods.

I love his relationship with Gai because there are so many layers to it. Their eternal rivalry has definitely driven each of them to improve themselves. Through all of those crazy challenges, the truest and strongest kind of friendship developed underneath the underneath between those two. In good times, they can indulge in those ridiculous competitions and reclaim an extra hour or more of their too-brief childhoods. In bad times, when one finds himself in trouble, the other comes running without question or hesitation.

My favorite word to use when describing Gai is “steadfast,” and I think that Kakashi-especially after he experienced a series of losses in his life-tested that character trait (perhaps subconsciously?). So from childhood until the end of his ANBU career, I think Kakashi’s favorite challenge is the one that put the most distance between them. I can easily imagine Kakashi agreeing to a long-distance race, only to dismiss it and walk away from it when Gai starts running to the designated finish line. I also imagine that Gai tallies all of those instances in his “win” column, as he rightly should.

I think that the few years between ANBU and Team 7 were some of the most difficult for Kakashi. He is more than a creature of habit; he creates and adheres to a routine. ANBU structured his life for him, so between the loss of that daily regimen and failing his first two teams, I imagine one very untethered Kakashi. I believe this is when he begins to honestly appreciate Gai and their eternal rivalry. It’s familiar, he can count on Gai to cross his path and issue a challenge to him. It becomes routine. At this point, Kakashi’s favorite challenge would be the one that lasts the longest, is the most detailed, occupies the most of an otherwise idle day, and exhausts him the most at the end of it. This is also when I imagine these two really begin to become friends, or Kakashi begins to accept Gai’s offered friendship. Kakashi doesn’t want to push Gai away anymore.

As jounin teachers, these two knuckleheads each gain an audience, so their competition becomes something they use as a chance to show off in front of their respective students. Gai is over-the-top, and he  _knows_  this about himself. However, he’s acquired students that admire him for it. Kakashi likes to be one cool cucumber in front of his genin and as such, acts like he’d rather not be bothered by Gai’s increasingly outlandish challenges (though secretly, he totally wants to do it). Appearances are crucial to that shinobi, so at this point, Kakashi’s favorite challenge is the one he is least likely to lose.

During the years between that fateful chunin exam and the Fourth Great Ninja War, both Kakashi and Gai are in high demand. There isn’t much time to invest in their eternal rivalry. When they can participate in a challenge, I imagine it is a precious opportunity to blow off steam and responsibility. I don’t want to post spoilers, and I’m thinking of an episode in the anime that features a crazy challenge after Kakashi comes closer to being named the next Hokage. These two are dorks, and they let their dork flags fly when they can spare the time to compete. Kakashi doesn’t have to pretend around Gai at this point, and Gai doesn’t have the same expectations of Kakashi as most of the rest of the village. Both let their guard down in each other’s company now. During these years, Kakashi’s favorite challenge is the one that allows him to let loose, to be immature and irresponsible for the sake of being immature and irresponsible.

And finally, in the years that follow the Fourth Great Ninja War, I think Kakashi’s favorite challenge is whichever one Gai chooses to issue to him.

XOXO


	2. Babysitting

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Question: "Always imagined that after Asuma's death, their graduating class would step up to help Kurenai with babysitting- what are your thoughts on Kakashi as a babysitter? Especially with his growth with Team 7?"

There is nothing I enjoy more than dropping these ninja assassins into domestic situations and figuring out if they would sink or swim, so I thank you for sending this question to me, Anon!

Above all else, Kakashi wants to be useful to others. So, if Kurenai was in a tight spot and asked him to babysit Mirai, you bet he’d show up (dirty books and all), maybe even on time.

One of his favorite pastimes is doubting himself, especially when others don’t. As such, the kind of babysitter Kakashi would be is a  _careful_  one. Now I don’t mean in an angsty way, I mean he would be cautious, attentive, and his actions would be deliberate.

We’re talking about a knucklehead that has seen some pretty icky stuff in his life. I don’t think he’ll squirm over a dirty diaper, or gag when Mirai spits up on him. I think Kakashi would be much more nervous about securing a clean diaper too tightly, warming the bottle up to the correct temperature, or making sure he’s supporting her head well when he feeds her.

I think he’d be frustrated that his Sharingan eye can’t help him figure out what Mirai wants when she’s inconsolable. In fact, a colicky baby might be the undoing of the Copy Nin. However, when she laughs at him or finally falls asleep, he forgives the stress she puts him through when she’s left in his care.

When Mirai naps, Kakashi is cleaning something. I don’t think Kurenai is a slob or anything, she’s a single parent, and out of his wish to be helpful, he’d do the things that he sees as needing to be done. He’d wash the dishes or sweep the floor. His ninken would serve as a baby monitor system to alert him of any trouble.

By the time Kurenai returns, Kakashi would have installed drawer locks and electrical outlet covers. Mirai would be safe under his watch, and he would do what he could to make sure she’s safe afterward too. And he wouldn’t accept a dime from Kurenai.

(Side note: Kakashi is the best at playing peek-a-boo, for obvious reasons.)

XOXO


	3. Former Comrade

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Question: "How do you think he'd react to seeing a former comrade while on a mission that left the village on uneasy terms, not quite like Sasuke but not coming back anytime soon?"

This is such an awesome question! You’ve presented me with an opportunity to explore Kakashi’s character in a way that I haven’t before. Thank you so much for asking this, Anon!

Kakashi is one conflicted dork. It’s part of the reason why he is such an interesting character to study. I’m going to have to think this one through out loud, haha:

For most of his formative years, “the rules” were infallible guidelines for Kakashi to live his life by. He learned them, he memorized them, he never questioned them, and he went so far as to scorn his comrades-up to and including his father-for not following them. He was the perfect little child soldier ( _sobs_  damn you, Konoha); an arrogant genius with something to prove. He would succeed where Sakumo had failed if only to justify the bitterness he felt after his father’s death.

Flash-step to the Kannabi Bridge mission, where his unyielding adherence to “the rules” is challenged by Obito, who then offers an incredible sacrifice for his cranky comrade’s sake, and Kakashi’s world view spins on a dime.

Or does it? I’m not so sure I buy that. Hear me out.

I think there’s a pocket in Kakashi’s mind that isn’t occupied with guilt, and in that pocket is a voice that shouts,  _“If Obito hadn’t broken the rules, it wouldn’t have happened.”_  A short time after this, Kakashi does choose to go after a captured Rin because he’d made a particular promise to Obito; one that was difficult for him to make and even tougher for him to keep. We all know how that ended.

Then Minato pulls the biggest jerk move in his otherwise flawless career and assigns this (literal) PTSD poster child to ANBU, where Kakashi drowns in darkness. And more rules.

_I think_  that it’s only after Minato’s death when Kakashi witnesses the power struggle between Danzo and Hiruzen-when he, himself becomes a political pawn between them-that he finally begins to doubt “the rules.” I mean, he has a front-row seat to the arguments between the drafters of those damn rules. “The rules” are no longer absolute and this revelation shakes something loose in that silver-haired head of his. While his world goes topsy-turvy into a new grey area, Kakashi begins to redefine himself and his role. He was, is, and always will be, first and foremost a shinobi that is completely dedicated to the Leaf Village. Konoha is more important to him than “the rules.”

Waiting for him in this grey area is someone that comes close to the type of character in your suggested scenario: Kinoe (Tenzo/Yamato). Right off the bat, Kakashi finds himself in a position to kill this little wood-style-rule-breaker but doesn’t. However, and this is very important, only because he sees Kinoe as someone who can benefit the Leaf someday. He lets the ROOT agent live and escape on a hunch and a hope.

Kakashi is finally starting to act on his own free will.

This brings me to a great point in the series to address your question, thank you for allowing me to take the scenic route to get here (I’m such a nerd XD).

I went through the short list of Kakashi’s peers, thinking on which one of them might be the most likely to fit the bill of the former comrade in the scenario you’ve presented. I’ve settled on Asuma Sarutobi, who had left Konoha after a profound disagreement with his father (the Sandaime) at around this time to join the Twelve Ninja Guardians.

I think it is not only possible but  _probable_  that Kakashi would bump into his former schoolmate while out on an ANBU mission. I bet that would’ve been so awkward and a much better idea for a filler episode than a ninja ostrich.

Kakashi would approach Asuma first and be the first to speak. He’d also let Asuma buy him a drink. Kakashi would share select bits of news from the village that he’d think Asuma would want to know. Nothing about Sarutobi Sr., or Danzo or their dirty politics. They would laugh about Kurenai, Gai, Genma, Aoba, Raido, Anko, Ibiki, Ebisu…

Kakashi wouldn’t ask Asuma (or any comrade that had left of their own free will) to come back. He would respect they acted on their conscience, just as he had. If he wanted his comrade to return, I think he would’ve given that comrade a reason (like discussing their mutual friends) to revisit their decision to leave and see it from a different perspective. Then Kakashi would wish them well and carry on with his mission.

On the other hand, if he thought for one moment that his former comrade had become a credible threat to Konoha, and his other comrades that fight alongside him to protect what’s most important to them, he’d eliminate that threat right there and then.

XOXO


	4. Sleeping and Flirting

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Question: "Honestly, I really wanna know how he sleeps, like everyone has their own way… some sleep on their side, some has a weird shape, some sleep straight (not many). And I really wanna know if he is capable of flirting…”

I’m lucky that all of the questions I’ve received have been so darn good, and these two are no exception. Thank you for asking them! I’ve had a lot of fun thinking about how best to answer you.

In the anime and manga, I always see Kakashi sleeping straight, on his back. There is one other episode in which he tries to sneak in a nap and even then, he is lying on his back, but with his arms on either side of his head. In fanart, he is often depicted sleeping on his side in the fetal position, or on his stomach with his arms wrapped around the pillow.

I turned to the infinite knowledge of the internet where I searched sleeping positions and what they reveal about personalities. I literally lol’d at the results.

The position in which he is most often shown while sleeping is straight, on his back (see also:  _Kakashi gets the most sleep while hospitalized_ ). This sleeping position is called (get this) The Soldier. But wait, there’s more. This sleeping position is associated with people that, “typically are quiet, reserved and hold both themselves and other people to high standards and strict moral codes.” Bullseye.

The napping position I described above occurred later in the series, after the Fourth Great Ninja War. That position is called The Stargazer, and according to my internet search, “They make their friends a priority and do anything in their power to help those they hold dear to them. People who sleep in this position tend to have a positive, ‘happy-go-lucky’ outlook on life.” Again, while I concede the second half of that personality description doesn’t exactly apply as well as the first, I think this is right on par with how Kakashi is portrayed at that point in the series. I like to think of him as being comfortable in his own skin at this stage of his life. He’s definitely more laid-back and certainly closer to “happy-go-lucky” than he ever was before.

As far as the fetal and tummy-time positions where I find a sleeping Kakashi in many fanart pieces… I think that can be explained by the fact that they are quite popular sleeping positions in general and not necessarily having anything to do with capturing his personality. In fact, the traits associated with those positions are further away from the mark:

Fetal: “Those who find comfort in this natural position can be described as having a hard shell: tough on the outside but a huge softy on the inside. They typically are shy when you meet them, then tend to open up and relax quickly.” I don’t recognize Kakashi in this description. I’ll grant the “tough on the outside” part, but that’s about it. The “tend to open up and relax quickly” is practically the opposite of what you can expect of the Copy Nin.

As for the other, what I called tummy-time, the almighty top search result calls The Freefaller. “Freefalling sleepers are bold and sociable on the outside, but typically don’t have the thick skin to deal with criticism or absurd situations.” I don’t think this fits Kakashi at all (don’t @ me, just my opinion).

But damn, does he look hot in that position. I certainly wouldn’t mind waking up to a view like that. So, artists: don’t pay any heed to these results and keep on keeping on with your sexy, sleepy Kakashi art.  _Please._

Speaking of sexy, if Kakashi ever did manage to acquire an OTP of his own, I think some part of him would  _have_  to be touching his lover while sleeping. I don’t mean he’d have to be all over them like an extreme spooner, subjecting his partner to the full force of his stanky, Kaka-morning-breath-no-jutsu. However, I see him resting the back of his hand against or draping an arm over his lover’s sleeping form. Also, I imagine him waking when said lover shifts in their sleep. He’d lift his head, peek at them with one eye and go back to sleep after making sure all is well and safe.

In order to get to the having-a-lover part, Kakashi would have to manage some modicum of flirtation, which brings me to the second part of your question.

I love this knucklehead to pieces, but my poor assassinating bean is one emotionally and socially stunted shinobi. However, Kakashi is aware of flattery and how to use it to his advantage. I’m thinking of a scene where he sweet-talks our dear Yams into buying his lunch; flaunting his mastery of this “ability” to his student, Naruto. In matters of the heart, rather than his wallet, I think the silver-haired prodigy of Konoha would be at a disadvantage. To make matters worse, he would know it too.

Kakashi would be an awkward flirt.

I’m actually writing a series that depicts a developing relationship between him and another high-ranking ninja dork. In that series, I explore this aspect of his character. In those stories, I imagine him as a nervous, old-fashioned date. He stammers his way through asking the object of his affections on a first date. He rambles on and on about his ninken-talking at great length about nothing-fueled by nerves and the desire to remain in their company. He shows up on time. He shaves and tries to tame his mane, efforts that are wasted because of his mask and cowlicks. He’s chivalrous; he behaves in a gentlemanly manner, without being condescending.

These little behaviors, the compliments he gives, all of the little gestures  _become_ romantic because of his earnest wish to do and say nice things to his lover, simply because he cares for them.

XOXO


	5. Kakashi vs Computers and the Internet

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Question: "How do you think Kakashi dealt with learning how to use computers and the internet?"

This is one of the best questions I could hope to receive. Thank you forever for asking this. As it happens, I’ve actually written a fic about Kakashi interacting online haha! But I’ll get to that later, first things first.

While there are plenty of utility poles connected by multiple wires scattered around Konoha, I can’t think of an example in the original series where I see someone actively using modern technological devices. The Sandaime had his crystal ball in the first few episodes (what the heck was that anyway and where did it go?); the Leaf Village has electricity and running water, they use radios and television, but I don’t think I’ve ever seen a character use even a landline telephone until Boruto. Then in the last opening theme of the Shippuden anime, we find the Rokudaime Hokage typing away on a laptop. Did that seem like a big jump to you? It seemed like a big jump to me. My job as a fanfiction writer is to pave over these potholes, and so, I like to think of Konoha as one of those out-of-reach places that suddenly found itself thrust into the established, exploding world of modern technology.

I’ve seen that meme that asks what Kakashi accomplished as Hokage, and besides blowing up the moon,  _I think_  he was the right man at the right time to begin Konoha’s modernization, complete with internet access.

Kakashi wouldn’t be suspicious of, or stubborn about using computers and the internet (for the most part, more on this later). I think he would see the benefits of using computers right from the get-go. He would be especially intrigued by the internet, as a ninja that understands the importance of information.

When it comes to learning how to use computers and the internet, I’m willing to bet that Kakashi is mostly self-taught. I would think that after one day of tentative typing with only his index fingers, he would make it a priority to familiarize himself with the keyboard layout, first. He was a fast learner before he acquired the sharingan, so I don’t think losing it would prevent him from quickly picking up on this skill. The next order of business would be learning basic computer functions. For this, he would definitely seek out a book to study from, and he would practice on his own. Not sure if this matters, but you know how I love the details-he wouldn’t have a computer for his home just yet. At this stage, this would be ‘work’ to the Rokudaime, so he keeps his laptop in his office. He would practice after hours, and definitely on the weekends, but at first, I think Kakashi prefers to be unplugged when he’s at home.

The first email account he’d set up would be for professional reasons too. Kakashi has never liked honorifics or titles, so I honestly think his first email address would be something like khatake@konoha.landoffire.ninjadorksverse. He would soon realize that he needed a personal email for private correspondence. Since I imagine he would use this address to keep in touch with old ANBU buddies staked out at Orochimaru’s pad, or former students while they’re on a journey of redemption, this (free) account might be t3amwork@leafmail.

It’s when Kakashi  _enters_  the www that things start to get away from him.

He’d definitely wait until he was alone in his office, but not for the reasons that most of the fans of this naughty ninja might think. Kakashi’s first internet search would be harmless and general, but what starts off as seemingly simple would quickly devolve into chaos as he clicks his way through hyperlinks that tempt him further and further from his original target. The Copy Nin is not immune to falling down the internet rabbit hole.

It would be after 1am, and he’d have 253 open tabs when he stops to wonder  _why_  he’s watching a video of a hamster eating a tiny burrito. I think Kakashi would be as surprised as the rest of us by the things he never knew he wanted to know as he saves and closes his way back out. Shikamaru would explain “cookies,” and show him how to delete his internet search history the following workday. It wouldn’t be long though before Kakashi gets a handle on this too, after experiencing the perils of exposure to too much information. He’d start employing the incognito feature when searching exactly what you’d expect him to search. He’d create a Hotmail account under the name of his favorite Icha-Icha character for the sole reason of signing up for free trials. He’d make good use of the WebMD site.

After Kakashi is more comfortable navigating the internet, he turns to it more often during his leisure time, and at home. I think he’d develop a healthy interest in gadgets. He’d totally get a smartphone, and he’d be smart enough to not give his number to many people. I imagine him investing in a tablet for the purpose of reading, which he winds up not using as much as he thought he would (he prefers the familiar feel of pages between his fingers). After that experience, he’d want to stay in the loop about tech toys without getting caught up in the craze surrounding them. Kakashi would watch and wait, carefully considering his options before upgrading his own devices.

What I think Kakashi would  _not_  embrace is social networking. Not that he doesn’t want to stay connected with friends and acquaintances, I just think he wouldn’t want to post about himself, haha. He’d be that Facebook friend that reacts but never comments. The rare posts you see from him would be photos of his ninken (never of himself), maybe some of his meals, and the automatically generated ones that announce he’s beaten a level on the games he plays.

I kinda, sorta touch upon this in the fic I mentioned at the beginning of my answer, so I’ll wrap this up with a link to it (if I can in the answer format-Tumblr keeps eating my ‘read more’ cuts so who knows what will happen). It’s about Shikamaru introducing Kakashi to instant messaging and Discord (and he stumbles upon a server that you and I are both familiar with, lol). Also, it’s the crackiest crack fic I’ve ever written. I hope you enjoy it!

[Modern Mis(ter)communication](https://t.umblr.com/redirect?z=https%3A%2F%2Farchiveofourown.org%2Fworks%2F15975503&t=NGU1YjMwZDMzZmFhYTIyNjhmZGRkODZkNzAwNzBjODUyNjEyNGRjOCxjMTlmNmVkYjExNzBiMjJlMWU1NWU0ZDBlZmE0YzExODU2MWYyYWE1)

Rated: M

XOXO


	6. Crazy Coupon Lady

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Question: "How does Mr I'm Always Late, react to being stuck in line behind crazy coupon lady?"

Anon, this scenario rocks and you rock for suggesting it. We’ve all been there, haven’t we? Politely patient on the outside/screaming on the inside while the crazy coupon lady makes us wait so long for our turn in the checkout lane. Just imagining Kakashi in this situation is enough to crack me right up, so I thank you for asking this!

Referring to him as “Mr. I’m Always Late,” led me to imagine that he’s busy earning that nickname when he encounters the Leaf’s version of the crazy coupon lady.

From Lord Third to Lady Fifth, the Hokages of Konoha have run Kakashi ragged. Have you seen his mission stats? 197 D-rank, 190 C-rank, 414 B-rank, 298 A-rank, and 42 S-rank* (and people wonder why this knucklehead is always tired). I can picture him rushing out of the Hokage Tower to meet up with a team, juggling three mission scrolls (two B’s and an S) that Lady Tsunade has just ordered him to multi-task because the village is perpetually short-staffed on shinobi. He has barely any time to grab a few protein bars and a Mountain Dew to take with him on the road and then he gets stuck behind a penny-pincher in the express lane.

In addition to running late, another running joke about this poor working-class ninja is that he’s a bit of a cheapskate. Personally, I don’t think Kakashi deserves this reputation. We’ve watched him charm one free lunch out of Yams in the anime, but Naruto benefitted from that occasion too, and we don’t call  _him_  stingy because of it. Also, just like the main character of the series, my overworked bean is a victim of Konoha’s Orphan Care Program (related rant: I want to be there the next time Orochimama reanimates Hiruzen because I’ve got a thing or two to say to the Sandaime).

In his vignette episode, we see a lil’ cutie-patootie Kakashi learning how to adult from magazines. Instead of playing after elementary assassination school lets out, he has to go catch his dinner in the river. There’s a big difference between being stingy and being frugal. Kakashi is the latter because he  _has_  to be, and like many (so many) of the behaviors he adopts during his brief childhood, this one sticks. It’s the whole reason why he went to the grocery store instead of the convenience store for those protein bars and overcaffeinated soda in this scenario. Sure, the convenience store would be quicker, but his hard-earned ryo stretch further at the market. Then he gets stuck behind everyone’s worst nightmare, disguised as a sweet old lady that no one could be angry at. Just like any of us, Kakashi would suffer in silence as the coupon clipper’s grocery bill is slowly reduced by fifteen-cent increments… and that’s when his perspective changes.

Kakashi’s exasperation would give way to inspiration.

His quick and clever mind would watch the savings add up, and he’d regret (one of his many hobbies, btw) all of the coupons from all of his magazine subscriptions that he suddenly realizes he’d wasted. As the crazy coupon lady pushes her luck further by digging through her massive handbag for her checkbook and a pen, Kakashi is forming a plan, waiting for the moment to invite her to do a teamwork exercise.

He rushes through his own purchases-not to hurry to his team that’s already waiting for him at Konoha’s gates but to offer to carry the crazy coupon lady’s grocery bags for her. In a previous answer, I touched on Kakashi’s ability to flatter when he stands to gain from it, and he would employ this skill here. He’d make an offer she couldn’t refuse: he’ll carry her groceries if she clips coupons for him too.

Of course, she agrees because she loves the thrill of saving money, but more than that, she’s happy to perform an act of kindness for one of the most selfless soldiers of the Leaf.

Bonus: Mr. I’m Always Late earns a valid excuse for his tardiness, at least this time.

*[This](https://t.umblr.com/redirect?z=https%3A%2F%2Fnaruto.fandom.com%2Fwiki%2FKakashi_Hatake&t=MzcxZDRmYzhkM2UwNDA0OTgzZTk1YmM2ODZkNmUzNDQxZmE4ZDE0NSwxYzVlNjIyNDQ0MTRmMTljYTJkODhiY2JmYmM3OTRmNzAyNGY4ZWNk) is where I pulled Kakashi’s mission stats for this post.

XOXO


	7. Hanami

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Question: "How does our mans feel about hanami? 🌸 Does he appreciate it, is he not sure what all the fuss is about, etc.? 😘"

You’ve provided me with an opportunity to study our mans in a way I would never have thought of on my own, and I thank you for it!

For those of you who are playing along at home, hanami is the Japanese tradition of gathering to view flowers in the spring-most often cherry, and plum blossoms-to enjoy their fleeting beauty (insert your favorite metaphors about life, or impermanence here). There are daytime, and nighttime celebrations and both involve music, food, and so on. In the past, poetry was written and read during hanami gatherings. Offerings were made to the  _kami_  the partygoers believed resided in the trees. The sake flowed freely.

When left to his own devices, I don’t think this would be a celebration that would tempt Kakashi into attendance. I’d rather dip my toes than drown in angst, so I’ll just briefly note that my traumatized ninja bean fully understands the transience of life and I don’t really see him excited about going to a party with that as its theme, haha. I think he spends a considerable chunk of his life anticipating trouble, and it robs him of the ability to simply admire the natural world around him. However, his career path led him straight to the top, and when he becomes the Rokudaime, he must fulfill all duties associated with the position. This includes maintaining traditions and attending hanami celebrations. By this point, Kakashi has watched his students not only survive but thrive beyond their childhoods. In addition, he leads Konoha during an era of lasting peace, perhaps he has time and leisure to appreciate the natural beauty of spring. He’d be happy for an excuse to abandon his paperwork and escape from the office, at least.

While I don’t think hanami would be Kakashi’s favorite custom owing to his preferences and experiences, there is the character’s name to consider, and so I have.

Hatake can be translated as “farmland,” or “field.” Kakashi means “scarecrow,” and Sakumo means “agricultural produce,” or “crops.” Their names are derived from the earth, their clan  _must_  be just as inextricably linked to some Japanese traditions that celebrate nature. I searched for and found two that I think suit his character better.

Momijigari is another annual tradition which honors the changing of the leaves in autumn. I might be going out on a limb here, but I bet this would be a pretty big deal in the Village Hidden in the Leaves. In addition to the location, the time of year plays into the agricultural theme that’s planted in the known names of the Hatake clan members. I imagine this to be a big celebration in Konoha, and one of particular importance to Kakashi’s family. In fact, as I type this, I have a headcanon firing off ideas of a time during the founding of Konohagakure (when the Hatake clan’s numbers must have been greater). Kakashi’s ancestors would play an integral part in the beginnings of this village and especially in this tradition, with enough pomp and ceremonial shenanigans to rival the Hyūgas…

By the Copy Nin’s time, he is the last of his clan and probably out on a mission when Konoha celebrates momijigari. I don’t think he’d mind though, I think he would find a way to appreciate autumn, Kakashi-style. As he leaps from tree branch to tree branch, he would have the best view to the changing leaves anyway, and he’d be free to enjoy them away from the Sandaime’s dry recitation of poetry.

Tsukimi or otsukimi is the other traditional Japanese celebration that I think Kakashi would appreciate. Further, I think this one is the best fit for him. During tsukimi, people gather to view the moon, and they celebrate it in much the same way as they do hanami. The traditional food that is served during a moon-viewing is more to Kakashi’s liking, I think. Edamame, chestnuts, potatoes, seasonal foods make up the menu (more of the green stuff, less of the sweet stuff) for these gatherings. Traditional decorations are made from Japanese pampas, or silver (field) grass. Most importantly, tsukimi refers to viewing the harvest moon, tying the tradition even closer to his name.

And according to the modern calendar, it’s often celebrated on September fifteenth.

XOXO


	8. A Long-lost Daughter

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Question: "What if Kakashi knew he had a lost daughter? Who is involved in illegal things? What would he do?"

I love that right off the bat, I received a juicy and imaginative scenario to sink my teeth into! Thank you so much for your question.

To answer this, I need to flesh out the scenario a bit more.

So, let’s say our favorite Leaf jōnin is out walking the streets of Konoha with smutty reading material in hand and doing his best to avoid Gai’s daily challenge when suddenly, Jiraiya grabs him by the scruff and hauls him into the nearest quiet alley for a man-to-man heart-to-heart.

Jiraiya fixes Kakashi with a severe look and tells him he’d witnessed a couple of known Akatsuki recruiting a new member: a young girl from Amegakure with unruly silver hair. Kakashi listens as Jiraiya tells him that this young girl displays extraordinary skill, especially with lightning and earth jutsus…

I don’t think Kakashi would be connecting the same dots that Jiraiya had, and the older man would ask Kakashi outright if he ever had a little too much fun while in the Hidden Rain. Kakashi’s visible eye would go wide with shocked realization, what little color he had in his face would drain right out, and that would be all the answer Jiraiya would need.

Of course, Jiraiya would have suspected the girl could be of Hatake lineage when he encountered her. He would’ve stealthily (as one would expect of a ninja) obtained a teacup that the girl had drunk from and still contained traces of her saliva to be used as a sample to be tested against Kakashi for possible relation. He’d haul said sample and Konoha’s petrified prodigy straight to Tsunade Senju’s office.

After the results come in, even the accusatory stares of two Sannin wouldn’t be enough to distract Kakashi from his preferred go-to reaction: blaming himself.

He’d find or imagine where he was at fault, even though he’d only been aware of her existence for mere minutes. Tsunade would then give him one of her loving flicks to the forehead. If he could manage to hang on to consciousness, that would snap him out of his brooding and kickstart his brain into doing what he does best: coming up with a plan.

Kakashi would immediately ask after the girl’s mother. For the sake of convenience, let’s say that the girl has no other living relatives; this seems like a popular theme in anime in general (and Naruto in particular) anyway.

It wouldn’t take more than a couple of minutes for Kakashi to convince himself that he is _not_ father material. However, he wouldn’t abandon the girl either. There is no doubt in my mind that his first priority would be to get the girl out of reach of the Akatsuki, and safely settled elsewhere.

Even as he’s coming to this conclusion, Kakashi would be leaping through the window of the Hokage tower and legging it straight to his buddy Tenzō’s place. There are very few people that Kakashi would trust to help him in such a situation, and there’s no doubt in my mind that Yams is the man he would want to team up with on the crazy rescue mission he’d be planning. Of course, Mr. Mokuton won’t refuse a request from Kakashi, so they’d be suited up in their {sexy} ANBU uniforms and out the door again quicker than you could say Yellow Flash.

To kidnap his daughter from the Akatsuki.

Every orphan in Konoha has learned the hard way that you don’t rely on Konoha to take care of a motherless child. I think Kakashi would scan through his memories, or ask for Jiraiya’s recommendation of a suitable family or school in which he could safely (and secretly) entrust the girl to.

Before I go further with this theory, I don’t want you to think that Kakashi is simply shirking his obligation and duty as a father. Instead, this knucklehead would believe he’d be a terrible father. Further, when he considers his dangerous career and chances of surviving the next few S-class missions he’s bound to be assigned, he would view placing his daughter in the safe care of others as the only solution. He would decide that it would be the best thing he could ever do for any child of his.

Kakashi would send money to support his daughter. He would keep up a correspondence with her caretakers to be informed on her health, safety, and happiness. He would make damn sure that his daughter is well looked after, and on track to a successful, secure life. I imagine him occasionally sending Pakkun and the boys to check up on her. He himself would also confirm her well-being from afar. He would think of her often and have nightmares of any harm coming to her.

As Kakashi ages, we see him becoming more comfortable in his own skin. I like to think that, after his gig as Lord Sixth, he’s much more accepting of himself, has learned and acknowledged his own strengths; has acquired more self-assuredness. It is at this stage of his life that he would seek her out, after years of making sure she wants for nothing, and salvage what he can of their relationship, using it as the foundation for a familial bond.

XOXO


	9. Keeping Tabs on his Students

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Question: “After the time skip Kakashi is surprised and impressed by Naruto and Sakura. Do you think he tried to keep tabs on them during that time?”

What an _excellent_ question! Thank you so much for asking.

The word that I am basing my entire answer upon is found in your question: “tried.”

You asked specifically about Naruto and Sakura, but I’m going to throw Sasuke into the equation as well.

I think that Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura permanently occupied a place in Kakashi’s mind (and much later, his heart) from the moment he gave them that great big thumbs-up on their promotion to genin. I’m convinced that Sasuke’s defection from the Leaf and the subsequent disbanding of Team Seven was quite a blow to him. Also, I believe it was a loss that he wasn’t equipped to process.

Everyone going in different directions left Kakashi once again without a team. However, everyone lived so, there was no one for him to mourn and I wonder how he wrapped his head around that. This poor knucklehead is accustomed to losing those closest to him in the most permanent way possible, and I think he develops attachment anxiety because of it (more on this later).

Even without a team, Kakashi is one busy bean. In both the manga and the anime, there are plenty of references to how heavily Tsunade relied upon him. She kept Hatake hopping from one mission to the next—he even had to shirk orders to go and retrieve Naruto after they failed to bring Sasuke back! That in itself should show to what lengths Kakashi would go to for his teammates, and especially his students.

So why wasn’t he more involved with them during that time between Naruto’s departure and return?

In Naruto’s case, I don’t think it’s difficult to imagine that Jiraiya would’ve kept communication with Konoha to a minimum. He’s got his hands full keeping his godson on the move; keeping their location secret from the Akatsuki. Kakashi is a ninja above all else, and he would understand and respect this need to not attempt correspondence with the Toad Sage and his tadpole. I think the proof of this is when Jiraiya reveals what happened when Naruto was pushed to the fourth tail of the Nine-Tails Cloak, after the fact. Even when it came to bringing Naruto back, Jiraiya was vague about the details, as any good shinobi should. And where was Kakashi when they returned? Hanging out on the window ledge outside the Hokage’s office; right there and waiting for whenever his student would show up. For someone who portrays himself as aloof, this speaks volumes of how eager he was to know how his former students had fared.

Concerning Sasuke, that’s a sensitive area in which I can only speculate. By the time Kakashi becomes a sensei, he’s shown as having relaxed his stance on the shinobi rules. I’ve stated in previous answers that I don’t subscribe to that notion, that _I_ think the rules are something that reign supreme throughout Kakashi’s career. When he goes against them, it’s a conscious and calculated decision that comes with no small amount of nervousness or stress. It’s worth breaking the rules if it means keeping your comrades safe, but if by breaking the rules you are putting your comrades in danger, that’s the ultimate offense in Kakashi’s Bingo Book. This is exactly what Sasuke did, for selfish reasons, and I imagine Kakashi having many sleepless nights coming to terms with it and whether or not he could forgive his student should that opportunity ever arise. I believe that Kakashi would definitely try to keep tabs on Sasuke, either personally when his missions would place him near Orochimaru’s pad, or by calling in a favor with his old ANBU buddies. Whether or not it would be to confirm Sasuke’s well-being, or to track him as an enemy, I couldn’t say. Probably a little of both.

One of Kakashi’s students never left the village and yet, he was just as surprised by Sakura’s skill and ability as he was with Naruto’s. Why would that be the case when it seems that it would be so easy for him to monitor her progress?

I’ve established that Kakashi was the busiest ninja in Konoha while Naruto was off training with Jiraiya. Even during the filler episodes that covered the chūnin exams in Suna, Kakashi was off spying on Amegakure. I’ve also established that Kakashi puts his students and comrades above the orders of his Hokage. In Sakura’s case, I believe it was Kakashi himself that kept him from knowing the strong and capable kunoichi she had become.

Attachment anxiety is a terrible beast to wrestle with, and I believe Konoha’s genius dork has a bad case of it. It’s much, much more than the fear of losing people close to you. It’s the belief that you don’t deserve the time and effort that others would invest in becoming close to you. Kakashi displays many of the symptoms of this type of anxiety: the crushing shame of having disappointed others, how quickly he is to blame himself, frequently extending himself beyond his own reserves for the sake of others and for the sake of proving himself, while at the same time distancing and isolating himself. As much as he fears detachment, anxiety causes him to behave in a way that makes forming and maintaining attachments incredibly tricky because of the belief that he could never do enough, or be enough for another person.

I believe that, out of all of his students, Kakashi thinks he disappointed Sakura the most. He told her that everything would be alright after she watched Naruto and Sasuke go at each other’s throats. It was a promise that Kakashi should never have made because it was one that he could never keep, and just like Naruto, he never got over it. The shame of failing to keep his word, coupled with his enthusiasm for blaming and doubting himself (in this case, believing he was a terrible teacher), leads him to conclude the best thing he could do would be to leave her to Tsunade’s instruction without interference. This would be enough for Kakashi to punish himself-to banish himself-and keep his distance from her.

For most of his life, Kakashi is convinced that he’s a walking disaster and he does his best to make sure that he’s the only casualty. This is never more apparent to me as in the case of his lack of relationship with his students after they went their separate ways.

However, they came back to him. I think one of the reasons Kakashi was so amazed by Naruto and Sakura is because he was blown away that they still wanted to test themselves against him. That he was someone that they continued to look up to and wanted to rekindle that bond with. This was when the members of Team Seven cracked that tough barrier (the same one that Gai had been chipping away at for years, making it easier for them to break through) that Kakashi had erected between his mind and his heart.

I may never understand Kishi’s decision to inflict so much trauma on one character so, it makes me beyond giddy to imagine how happy this tortured goofball must’ve been when Naruto and Sakura took the bells from him.

XOXO


	10. Kakashi's Favorite LoZ Game

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> “So this is more of a silly question, but since the Narutoverse has everything we have (except for guns) do you think Kakashi would ever be a gamer? And if he played any of the Legend of Zelda games, which would be his favorite? XD”
> 
> This question was sent to me by a friend that knows of my endless love for LoZ games, haha! In the original Tumblr post, I included a wonderful piece of fanart, so please click on the Link *snicker* (in the notes at the end) to view it.

In Boruto, we see the next gen ninjas behaving rather  _UN_ ninjalike with their handheld gaming devices. Whether that’s allowed under the Shinobi Rules or not, it proves that video games exist in Narutoverse.

As a single dad, Sakumo would totally employ screens to occupy Kakashi so he can catch a nap between missions. It’s my opinion that the members of the Hatake household would not like combat games. Think about it: after a day of working in customer service, would you want to unwind with a game that requires your character to level up at a call center? Coupled with their predisposition to PTSD and I think that’s a great big nope. However, father and son could only play Pong, Asteroids, and Pitfall so many times before Sakumo would see the benefit of spending his ryo on the more sophisticated NES when it becomes available.

According to me, everyone should love the  **LoZ**  series and that includes the knuckleheads of Konoha. Even without my totally biased viewpoint, I think Kakashi would enjoy some, but not all of these fantasy adventure games. After he inserts that first  **Zelda**  cartridge into the console, he’d be astonished by the colors and the music. His little masked mouth would water at the ability to go up  _and_  down, left  _and_ right.

And when he enters that fantastic cave where the wisest npc is waiting with a sword and the warning, “It’s dangerous to go alone! Take this,” Kid!Kakashi would be  _hooked_.

It’s not just the gameplay that has him running back to  **Zelda**  after killer kindergarten lets out for the day, though. I think that the first time Kakashi realizes he could’ve taken the shorter route of up, right, up, right, right, right, right, right, up, left, up, to the second dungeon (instead of his initial path of up, right, up, up, up, up, right, right, right, right, right, down, down, left, up), he’d grab his ninja crayons and draw a map of the whole darn overworld. Sakumo would totally put that shit up on the fridge too.

Then,  _then,_ after Kakashi has smashed through every breakable wall, moved every block, and beaten the OG Ganon, there’s a  _second effing quest_  waiting for him (and what a beast it is). Sakumo would be able to put the first map in his son’s baby book then because it’s basically useless for the second playthrough, and Kakashi’s meticulous approach to beating the game would begin anew.

Time to grab a tissue because this is where things get angsty. As we all know, my poor octorok-squishing bean has a very short childhood. While I’m sure that he would’ve loved the hell out of the first **Zelda game** , he is much too busy being a child soldier in the Third Shinobi War to play  **The Adventure of Link**. While Nintendo offers new consoles and  **LoZ**  games to go with them, Dungeon Boss-Kishi plunges Kakashi into darkness with neither a red candle nor a blue one to help him find his way out. Between dodging Danzo and loathing himself, I can’t help but think that it’s impossible for this ANBU assassin to find time to play  **A Link to the Past**  or  **Link’s Awakening**.  _Sob._

However, the Sun’s Song is unlocked and the clouds part for the early days of Team Seven. I can totally imagine Kakashi spying on his cute little genin (while he makes them wait for him) and overhears them discussing one of the best games in the  **LoZ** series,  **Ocarina of Time**. After all the lunches Yams has bought for him, Kakashi decides he can afford to splurge on an N64, and he attempts to recapture some of that  **Zelda**  magic from his youth.

This game does not disappoint Kakashi, either.

Like everyone, he’d consider muting the TV way before Link had a chance to verily demonstrate his courage because of Navi’s constant interruptions. However, I think after dealing with another talkative bright ball of a boy as his student, Kakashi is willing to put up with Navi out of respect for the late Great Deku Tree’s wishes.

Honestly, I think Kakashi could relate to this version of the Hero of Time. The poor kid doesn’t quite fit in with the others around him, he’s orphaned, has the expectation of saving the world thrust upon his little kid shoulders, then before he knows it, he’s all grown up and the world around him is even more dangerous than it was when he started.

Even though a map is provided in this game, I think Kakashi might still keep notes of every odd thing he encounters as he thoroughly explores 3D Hyrule (boulders, different colored trees and wide spaces that  **LoZ**  geeks know are suspicious). He’d be the kind of gamer that focuses on completing the game-not just beating it-making  **OoT**  the right game at the right time for him. He’d plant every bean (and drop bugs on the sprouts), get every weapon upgrade, collect every piece of heart and every gold skulltula. He’d be intrigued by the owner of the Happy Mask Shop (as well as Impa, the Skull Kid, that shady Poe Collector fellow, and Kaepora Gaebora), and he’d make sure that Link models each mask for the Deku Scrubs in their hidden grotto. The Water Temple would’ve driven him just as crazy as it drove the rest of us  **LoZ**  freaks when he finds that he’s one key short or didn’t move  _that one block_  before adjusting the water levels, but it’s all forgiven when he fights Dark Link.

Kakashi would use fishing as an excuse for being late to meet with Team Seven  _and_   _it wouldn’t be a lie._  Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura would catch on to the truth when their sensei starts absentmindedly humming the  **OoT**  soundtrack (the Gerudo Valley theme is his favorite) because everyone that’s played the game is guilty of it.

By the time Kakashi realizes that it’s impossible to beat the Running Man (even with the Pegasus Boots) in that damn race to Kokiri Forest no matter how many times and how many different ways he plays  **OoT** ,  **Majora’s Mask**  has dropped.

The alternate world of Termina serves as the perfect distraction from Sasuke’s obsession with revenge, and the beginning of the end of Team Seven. Kakashi would be quick to appreciate this game from the beginning; chasing after that weird Skull Kid from  **OoT** , which leads Link to encounter the Happy Mask Shop owner who, right off the bat, starts to prove what a creepy creep he really is.

It should be obvious without my listing all of the reasons as to why Kakashi would love this game. The world is gorgeous, the story is mysterious, the dungeons and bosses are challenging, the Garos, the MASKS fer chrissakes, and the side quests (OMG, the side quests) are an  **LoZ**  completionist player’s  _dream_.

If you still need proof that  **Majora’s Mask**  is among his favorite games, I offer Kakashi’s boldest move as the Roku-blow-up-the-moon-daime. Fight me.

I’ve kept to the  **LoZ**  games that have been released for home consoles because I think Kakashi would avoid the handheld devices. He doesn’t need to have his gaming habit blow his cover while out on missions. He has his trusty, tattered copies of Icha-Icha books and those are plenty to keep him occupied and entertained during downtime around the campfire.

At any rate, at this stage in the Naruto series, the main hero is off training with Jiraiya and the Leaf is short on shinobi to run missions, so Kakashi wouldn’t have much time to indulge his love of  **LoZ** games anyway. He’s definitely invested in the series by now and curious about new installments to it. He would be aware of the release of  **The Wind Waker** , but I think his initial impression of that game would be that it appears cartoonish, and may not be enough to spark his interest in the game at the time.

However, I’m certain that the next  **LoZ**  home console release would have those tantalizing fingers of his twitching to play again. I think there’s a lot about  **Twilight Princess**  that would catch his attention. The overall dark tone of the game would remind him of  **Majora’s Mask** , new characters and enemies… The familiar  **LoZ** story branches off into new territory and I bet that would have him keen to explore it.

But then he starts to play it.

**Twilight Princess**  starts off  _so damn slow_  and Kakashi is  _so damn busy_  at this point in the series that I think he saves and quits and isn’t in a rush to return to the game. He’s got a Kazekage to rescue and a Kyūbi to protect; he doesn’t have time to herd oxen and chase cradle-stealing monkeys.

After the power of friendship saves the day and Gai carries Kakashi home, the copy-nin is bedridden and picks up the game again out of boredom. His interest in it is rekindled when he meets with the Twilight Emissaries and is turned into a wolf. Midna entertains him, definitely.

Honestly, I think Kakashi would have a love/hate relationship with  **Twilight Princess**. My headcanon is that he would enjoy another opportunity to explore the world of  **LoZ,**  but this game doesn’t present the kind of satisfying overworld journey as other games did. He would be impressed by a few of the characters, but scratch his head at most of the others. He’d have a greater appreciation of the enemies, dungeons, the Ancient Hero, the Cave of Ordeals and especially, the overall story. However, I’m convinced that Kakashi is a completionist and anyone that challenges themselves to complete  **Twilight Princess**  knows the unbearable pain of Rollgoal. Ugh.

After Kakashi finishes this game he doesn’t sell it, but he doesn’t replay it often and never through to completion again. He’s satisfied that the Kingdom of Hyrule is safe as long as Malo exists within it.

At this point in Naruto’s flawed timeline, things are coming to a boil. Kakashi faces off in his own boss fight against Pain and Konoha suffers the same fate as Kakariko. My favorite ninja dork falls in battle (and I rage-quit the series for a while), but Kishi releases a bottled fairy and Kakashi is revived to fight in another shinobi war, become the Rokudaime, and play more  **LoZ**  games.

Or so he hoped.

Being Hokage comes with more paperwork than any elite shinobi could complete in a lifetime. The position also comes with a pay raise (as I imagine), so I see Kakashi parting with some of his savings to give the gift of a Wii and  **Skyward Sword**  to his best buddy, Gai.

I think that this is an  **LoZ**  game that Kakashi would be content to occasionally watch his eternal rival play, rather than play himself. Lord Sixth would love the story, would love the presentation that this game is the beginning of  **LoZ**  lore. He would also love that he is watching rather than playing when Gai deals with the frustration of syncing and re-syncing the controllers when he flies his loftwing, or swings the Master Sword. The only time I think Kakashi would grab the controllers for this game would be to take a crack at Koloktos. I also think that would be the only break he’d get to sneak in some  **LoZ**  fun while he’s Hokage.

Of course, this means Maito would become a fan of the  **LoZ**  games and he would approach them with the same gusto he applies to everything in his life. Gai would play through the back catalog, training for when Kakashi retires and becomes available to speed-run playthrough challenges.

Gai would be the friend that convinces Kakashi that he must play  **The Wind Waker**  and distracts his rival from the eternal sailing by explaining why  **A Link to the Past**  might be the most important game of the  **LoZ**  series. Now that Kakashi has reached a point in his life that offers him time for leisure, he plays through it as well as other games in the series that he had missed out on. Besides adding  **A Link to the Past**  to his list of favorites, it would otherwise remain unaltered at this point:  **Zelda** ,  **OoT** , and  **Majora’s Mask**.

By the time Kakashi knows the significance of the yellow band in the various caps worn by the Hero of Time,  **Breath of the Wild**  is released and his list of favorite  **LoZ**  games grows again.

There is just so much about this game that would appeal to Kakashi. The sheer size of the overworld (I’ve read it’s 360 square kilometers) and the fact that he can explore the whole thing would be this ninja dork’s dream come true. He can progress through the game however he wants to. He’d buy that Sheikah set right away, and find  **Majora’s Mask**  as soon as that DLC dropped and roam the world to his heart’s content.

Kakashi wouldn’t be bothered by the odd trophies this game offers for completing it, because as a completionist player, he understands that  _completing it is its own reward_. His alter-ego Sukea would love taking photos both for the compendium and for the sake of fun. Kakashi loves to infiltrate, gather information, solve puzzles, and form plans and  **BOTW**  offers all of that in spades.

He’d restart the game so many times just to try out different strategies. The first time Kakashi leaps off of Mount Lanayru, sputters out of stamina and lands on a buck that charges straight for the blue lynel in Naydra’s Snowfield (this totally happened to me btw), he’d realize he should’ve been trading those spirit orbs for stamina vessels instead of only heart containers; resulting in his first restart. The second restart would come after Gai shows off his spiffy expand-a-band-banded inventory and this time, Kakashi would plow through the Great Plateau so he could recover that pair of priceless maracas. Countless other restarts occur as Kakashi experiments with which and how many towers he should attempt to overtake before he finally makes his way to Impa.

With every restart, he learns something new about  **BOTW**  and enjoys it more. He commits locations to memory (at least 148 for the towers, shrines and captured memories). He rushes to gather the essential 441 Korok seeds in each new playthrough (he might shed a tear when he finally becomes a member of the 900 club-I know I did). He figures out how to cheat on Eventide Island. He learns that even though he  _could_  launch Link across Hyrule with Magnesis and Stasis doesn’t mean he  _should_. He looks forward to every Blood Moon if only to cook as many hearty durians, mighty bananas, and endura carrots as he can between 11:30 and midnight in-game time. He realizes that his greatest enemy in all of Hyrule is the weather. When the Champion’s Ballad is available for download, his excitement for playing the game begins all over again.

I’ve stated several times that I’m convinced that Kakashi would be a completionist player and out of all the games, the latest  **LoZ**  is a  _pleasure_  to complete (despite what some YouTube gamers may say). In addition,  **BOTW**  came out during a period in Kakashi’s life when he could afford to spend significant time playing it.

And this finally brings me to the answer to your question.  **Breath of the Wild**  would be Kakashi’s favorite  **LoZ** game, hands down. He would love this game so much and would enjoy playing it so often, that I think he had a Nintendo Switch stashed in the fanny pack he rocked during the Steam Ninja Scrolls arc.

XOXO

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Here's the original Tumblr post.](https://ohayohimawari.tumblr.com/post/185890717307/kakashi-asks-answer)


	11. Thoughts on Sukea

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "What are your thoughts on Sukea? Do you think this disguise existed prior to him messing with Team 7?"

It’s a beautiful coincidence that I answer this question so close to my first anniversary as an outed writer in the Naruto fanfiction community. I wrote my headcanon of the origin of Sukea in my very first (and very naughty) fic! Seriously, I can forgive Kishi for almost everything simply because he removed the mask from my favorite character and put a camera in his hands (for those that don’t know, I’m a photographer).

In my story  _Supplemental Training_ , I portray Kakashi just as I imagine him when he’s nearing the end of his ANBU career. While he claims to be a man of many hobbies, he is first and foremost a ninja. He goes to sleep and wakes up a shinobi. His ability to form plans and strategies makes him both a powerful ally and a formidable enemy, but beyond the scope of missions, I don’t believe him to be an especially imaginative person. At the very least, I mean to say that he doesn’t put much stock in his own latent creative ability, and that prevents him from attempting such. Further, at that stage in his life and career, Kakashi is wound tighter than a two-dollar watch.

In my fic, he is reluctantly thrust into a situation that he is suspicious of, and is determined to control. He plays along with another character when she asks what he would like to call her, and Kakashi dubs her with a name that is obvious and unimaginative. She, in turn, christens him with a name that is equally obvious and unimaginative: Sukea.

(Side note:  _sukea_  is the Japanese pronunciation of the English word  _scare_. Kakashi means scarecrow in Japanese, so, his alter ego’s name is a play on his own.)

In the story, Kakashi accepts the offered moniker, and it’s not long before he realizes that he stands to gain new skills if he manages to successfully navigate his situation. I’d written that my quick-thinking bean likens this experience to being an actor that is assuming a role. In scrambling for a costume, he tugs his mask down; effectively removing the face that most have come to recognize as his. Then, he’s nervous af.

This leads to the pivotal moment of my story, and in the creation of Sukea. Konoha’s prodigy, for all of his brilliance, doesn’t shine in the social interactions arena. Kakashi, bless his heart, wants so badly to be in control of the situation. However, it’s only when he lets himself go in favor of becoming Sukea, that he finally  _does_  gain control of it.

Near the end of my story, I write that Kakashi considers, “… what he had gained, who he had escaped, what he had beaten back, and who he became.” It’s from this moment on that I believe Sukea is an important part of this character’s life.

This transition doesn’t have to play out the way I’d written it in that fic, but I think Kakashi would  _have_  to be pushed into stepping outside of himself. We don’t see him assuming different identities in his career. He’s not a role-playing kind of dude in his downtime. He lives in a mask and wears an additional one when he clocks in for his shifts. He insulates himself during missions and isolates himself between them. I sometimes wonder if, by this stage in his life, he’d hidden his identity so well that Kakashi had lost sight of himself.

So, the experience of being Sukea-however it comes about and for whatever reason-would be something between refreshing and liberating for the Copy Nin.

Now I’m going to pull a Kishi tactic and employ a time jump with minimal backstory. A couple of years go by in which bad things happen to the Uchiha clan, Konoha adopts yet another orphan, and Kakashi is released from ANBU.

I imagine that this is one of the most difficult stages of Kakashi’s life. Nothing could be more unsettling for this dork than idleness after the familiar, strict, comfortable routine of the decade he spent in ANBU. I honestly think Kakashi wouldn’t know what to do with himself in the years between Black Ops and Team Seven. As a result, he begins to have a greater appreciation of Gai and his challenges. Also, this is when Kakashi would flesh out his secret identity as Sukea.

Because escapism.

Kakashi can’t stand himself in the years between Team Minato and Team Seven, and after he’s out of ANBU, he’s got too much time on his hands to ruminate on it.

There’s no way in hell that he would just wake up one day and decide to skip along the streets of Konoha without his mask on though. Kakashi would approach this consciously and meticulously. It helps to occupy the extra time. It postpones the moment between deciding to go out as Sukea and actually doing it. He would need time to prepare for this, mentally and physically.

There’s more to my headcanon than loathing himself though. The Third Hokage decided that this traumatized soldier was grade A teacher material, and Kakashi takes his orders seriously. While I don’t think he would view his eccentric nature as odd, I think he would be aware that he is socially awkward (at least, he would be aware that he  _feels_  awkward in social situations). I think he would strive to improve at this, if only for the sake of being a sensei.

This is why Sukea is a photographer.

Being a photographer is similar to being a fly on the wall. In order to capture candid moments or gather pictorial evidence, a photographer needs to melt into the background. Kakashi, being a ninja, would know how to succeed at that. He’d come to terms with the fact that the mask that hides his face makes him stand out. He’d know to cover his luscious, outrageous silver cowlicks, his famous scar and borrowed eye.

I can almost hear a couple of you piping up in the back asking, “But Hima, he’s a ninja! He can just don a henge!” The answer to that is no, unfortunately. As long as that sharingan is in Kakashi’s eye socket, that shit never shuts off. Even though he’s wearing a contact lens, as long as both of his eyes are open, it’s a constant drain on this poor knucklehead’s chakra reserve. Also? I think he doesn’t want to.

Choosing photography as Sukea’s schtick was brilliant. Photographers are expected to focus on their subjects, affording Kakashi plenty of time and opportunity to study others. He would definitely learn a great deal about people this way. Relationships and their dynamics are captured by his lens. He gains some new social skills by watching and catches up on the lives of the folks of the Hidden Leaf at the same time. One of his many hobbies is born. The best photographers are careful in their observations, quick in their actions, and Kakashi is already carrying those tools around in his fanny pack.

Unrelated, but, only Kakashi could make a fanny pack look asjkfsd  _hot_. Another trivial detail, but you know how I love those: I’m thinking of one of Berry’s delightful headcanons about his mask and drawing from it now in my imagination. I wonder if Sukea carries Kakashi’s mask in his coat pocket the first few times he goes out in public.

Whether he does or not, after a few field trips around Konoha, I think Kakashi would genuinely enjoy stepping out as Sukea. He would have to if he’s still doing it during his sensei days, and again in the next-gen era.

He delights in trolling Team Seven, that’s for sure. Sukea is his own private joke, and who among us tires of laughing at our own jokes? Kakashi’s no different, and that’s why we catch him smirking at his reflection when we  _finally_  got to see the goods in that special manga chapter and anime episode. It felt so good to have my anime crush validated, btw.

Every time Kakashi drifts undetected around the Leaf Village, there is one other jōnin that Sukea’s camera avoids. As much as he enjoys his joke, he wouldn’t push his luck when it comes to the possibility of Maito Gai recognizing him. I think it speaks volumes about their friendship when we see Sukea sweating it out as Gai’s eyebrows invade his personal space and he stares the other man down. I’m convinced that this is how Kakashi learns his eternal rival is hopelessly face blind, but that’s a headcanon for another day.

Sukea is  _still_  stalking the inhabitants of the Hidden Leaf when Boruto’s generation of ninja are preparing to graduate. However, we see Kakashi tugging his mask back up and pulling the wig off, transitioning  _in front of_  Iruka. In so doing, he proves how much he’s grown throughout his life. I imagine that being Sukea had a lot to do with that.

This alter ego of Kakashi’s-like so much about him-is enigmatic. It seems to me that he’s revealing himself rather than hiding himself; giving others a chance to get to know him underneath the underneath. The person aside from the elite ninja that he is.

I said earlier that I wondered if Kakashi had hidden his identity so well, that he had lost sight of himself. I like to think that in being Sukea, Kakashi reconnected with himself.

XOXO


	12. Obito's "Death"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Question: Do you think that Kakashi had a gut feeling that Obito was still alive? It seemed to me that he couldn’t get over Obito’s “death” whilst he was able to process his grief over the loss of his other loved ones.

This is such a fantastic question. Thank you for presenting me with an opportunity to climb into this ninja’s quirky brain to pave over what I think is one of the biggest holes in canon!

Throughout Naruto’s story-before and after the time skip-Kishimoto doesn’t allow the fans of the series, or Kakashi, to forget Obito. Every time we see my favorite ninja dork at his regular hangout (the memorial stone), it’s like Kishi is telling us, ‘ _Hey! Pay attention to this!_ ’ Canon provides more questions than answers to this, so I’m going to rely upon my knowledge and interpretation of Kakashi’s character, as well as my imagination to resolve it.

First of all, Kakashi is no idiot.

He knows that he’s talking to dead people that can’t answer him when he visits their graves. He understands that death is final, _permanent_ , having learned that lesson the hard way at a young age. The way he processes grief differs with each loss, however.

We know that Kakashi made it a point to distance himself from his father’s legacy after Sakumo’s death. In the series, I can think of only one instance in which we see Kakashi visiting his father’s grave, and it seems to be out of obligation. Further, when that angry little Kaka-brat is standing at his father’s grave in the rain, he places a flower on Sakumo’s marker while saying he won’t grow up to be like him. Ouch.

When it comes to Sakumo’s death, I think Kakashi spends a lot of time avoiding it. First, because he’s angry, later because he feels guilty (see also: Kakashi’s Legendary Self-Loathing). As long as I’m drawing from my imagination to answer this, I like to think that Kakashi comes to Sakumo’s grave more often after they made peace over a campfire during their brief visit in the afterlife.

It isn’t long after Sakumo’s death that Kakashi loses the closest thing he has to a father figure when his sensei Minato dies. This is another grave that I can’t recall (off the top of my head) Kakashi visiting. I think there are more than a couple of reasons why this is. Because he was a Hokage, Minato’s grave is already well-tended, or perhaps his remains are inaccessible (unless you’re Orochimaru). Another reason is because Kakashi has something better than a grave marker to turn to: the Yondaime’s bust carved into the mountainside that dominates Konoha’s skyline. When Kakashi wonders what kind of guidance his late sensei would offer, he looks up at his likeness. Side note: is it just me, or does that seem to give him a sense of calm? That’s a big headcanon of mine.

There’s something else that Minato left behind, or I should say _someone_ , and that would be the main hero of the whole series. I definitely think that, although Minato’s death is an ending to a part of Kakashi’s life, it opens the door for this knucklehead to reckon with the future during his grieving process. But I have another Kakashi Ask waiting in my inbox about baby Naruto so I’ll wait to go into this when I answer that question.

This brings me to what canon presents as the most traumatic experience Kakashi has had with loss. There are countless flashbacks to the death of Rin Nohara at Kakashi’s hand before we’re given the full explanation for it. I can think of only two times that we see Kakashi visiting Rin’s grave: when he’s tending to it during a break from guarding a pregnant Kushina, and again when Tenzō is spying on Kakashi in the ANBU Black Ops arc. Although we don’t see him visiting Rin often, it’s implied that he does go regularly to her grave. He washes her marker, brings fresh flowers to adorn it, and tells her of the happenings in the Hidden Leaf.

Personally, I think Kakashi goes to Rin’s grave out of a sense of duty and keeps his visits brief out of guilt and pain (just an opinion; please don’t @ me). He can’t escape the physical moment of Rin’s death. It haunts him, frequently. He relives it more than any other experience he’s had in his fictional, angst-filled life. It seems to me that he thinks of his visits to Rin as the least he can do, after his involvement in her death. It’s all that he _can_ do to continue to keep his promise to Obito to look after her. I’m not saying that he doesn’t have fuzzy friendship feelings for Rin, but I can’t imagine those are feelings that he’s able to maintain easily after the circumstances surrounding her death. Truly, I wonder if those visits are out of wanting to atone for his part in her death or to appease the angry spirit that Rin appears as in Kakashi’s nightmares. Probably a little of both.

The grave that is Kakashi’s home away from home is the memorial stone. Out of all the names that are etched on it, there’s only one that keeps him coming back to it. Obito Uchiha.

The million-ryo question is, out of all of the deaths that Kakashi has experienced, why is Obito’s grave the one that he turns to and returns to? Canon doesn’t portray them as the best of friends while they were schoolmates and later, teammates, so…?

This was the first peer that Kakashi lost, and that _had_ to have rocked his little ninja world. Obito sacrificed himself for Kakashi’s sake and that too must’ve been a great big wtf moment for my precious murder baby. Also, there’s the sheer suddenness of the unfortunate boulder incident in Kakashi’s literal blind spot. I mean, wow, those reasons alone could show why Obito’s death would be next to impossible for kid!Kakashi to process.

But kid!Kakashi becomes adult!Kakashi and he’s _still_ hovering by the memorial stone every time he gets a chance. I know that I’ve presented this dork as a creature of habit, but in this case, there’s something more to it. Two somethings, specifically.

First (to be blunt): there’s no body.

Obito Uchiha is _presumed_ dead and for a ninja who has firsthand experience with _proven_ death, that blows the door wide open to the possibility of Kakashi’s teammate surviving that rude boulder.

During the Land Waves arc, we see Team Seven’s leader waking up unconvinced that Zabuza is really dead. This knucklehead has more brains than chakra, and he doesn’t leave things to chance.

So, to Kakashi, presumed dead is way more alive than dead.

This is why he doesn’t just relate the news of the village to Obito like he does when he visits other graves. He asks questions and unloads his conscience there because, in his mind, he might be communicating with someone that _could_ answer him.

But wait! There’s more. The second something is (drumroll): the sharingan.

Sharingan literally means “copy wheel eye,” and it is described as an “eye that reflects the heart.”

Kishimoto seems to enjoy beating his characters with a trauma stick, so canon gives us many (so many) accounts of how tragedy affects the sharingan’s development. However, if it reflects the heart, there are plenty of positive emotions that could affect it that simply weren’t explored in the series.

Another thing that isn’t fully explained in canon is how Kakashi and Obito’s sharingan eyes are connected. We only know that they _are_ connected because the mangekyō awoke at the same time in each of them (this is very important btw), and because of their shared tsukuyomi/ninja dumpster. This is great imagination and fan content fodder because the possibilities of their shared sharingan are near endless.

What follows is _my_ headcanon.

Rather than having a gut feeling that Obito is still alive, I think Kakashi allows for the possibility that his teammate survived. That becomes a probability after he learns more about the sharingan from his subordinate, Itachi and student, Sasuke.

It would be years after Obito’s presumed death that Kakashi would learn that the mangekyō is awakened by witnessing the death of the person that the sharingan-bearer is closest to. As much as I adore Rin’s character, she is not the person that Kakashi feels closest to when he witnesses her death. I believe that Kakashi is closer to Gai, or even Minato when Rin dies.

As Kakashi learns more about the sharingan, the bigger his hunch becomes that Obito survived. I’m sure he’d question how the mangekyō could’ve awoken in the first place if the person that gave it to him was dead.

This borrowed eye is surgically attached to Kakashi’s optic nerve and not his heart. So, if the sharingan is still developing, the heart it was connected to must still be beating.

More speculation, but perhaps Obito can use all of the jutsus that Kakashi has copied. Maybe snippets of Obito’s emotions are processed as information in Kakashi’s brain. It would make sense to me in Narutoverse.

So why didn’t Kakashi tell anyone that he had reason to think that Obito might still be alive?

The experiences that would lead him to think that are subjective. Kakashi is tight-lipped even when someone wants to know his hobbies. I don’t think he’d tell anyone that a mistake was made with one of the etched names on the memorial stone until he had hard proof.

However it played out, or whatever your headcanons about these two may be, the moment they faced each other from opposite sides of the battlefield was heartbreaking.

I think that when Kakashi finally saw him again, he was less surprised that Obito was alive and more surprised that he had become an enemy. * _Sob_ *

XOXO

P.S. I actually touched upon this headcanon in a drabble that I wrote for my latest Tumblr milestone, _The Impossible_.


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